The Twists and Turns in Life
by Muff'Nbutter
Summary: Want to read something special that may not have you guessing, but will shock you with what comes to pass? Something that seems ordinary but underneath is unique and new? You'll be saying "wtf?" in no time at all! in a good way, of course :D
1. Chapter 1

So here is my new story! I warn yo, it might seem like your average "all human AU" story, but it's got some Twists and Turns that nobody has seen coming in any other fanfic I've ever read! I'm super excited to be able to post my first chapter of it and I'm glad that y'all are here to witness this momentous occasion with me :D (lol...)

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing that is not mine... and such... so if it isn't mine, then I don't own it, but if I own it, then it's mine... indeed nods head for emphasis

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I sighed. I knew I should have worked on finding a roommate before I had to actually head out here, but I didn't think it would be so hard. This is a big city, after all... but I've learned that the bigger the city, the more weirdoes in it.

Every place I'd checked out had so far been either been too small, too expensive, in too rough of a neighborhood, or had just been offered by someone too creepy.

What is it with San Francisco? Why couldn't I just find one place be worth all this craziness that my job was putting me through? I know, I know, I should have felt grateful for the promotion and everything, but how could I, when it meant moving so far away from my the people I cared about most, with no security net waiting for me? I mean, what if I fail, being all alone down here? What if the bosses decide that I'm not worth it after all? How would I be able to show my face to everyone back in Forks, see the disappointment written there, and not burst out crying?

Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes just at the thought when my cell phone rang.

I quickly wiped my eyes, and looked at the caller ID. It was my best friend who I desperately needed to talk to.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear from you!" I tried to sound excited, rather than depressed, even though I knew that I could never fool him.

"Why have you been crying, Bella?!" he was nearly hysterical; he worried about me too much for his own good, and I loved him for it.

"I'm fine, really." He scoffed, and I ignored it. "I'm just having a minor freak-out... you know: anxiety, self-loathing, and all that jazz. What's up with you?"

"Oh, Bells... I'm sorry, hon. I wish I could give you a hug and make you feel better." I could hear the frown in his tone, and I didn't like it. Grant should always smile- it's like a law or something.

"Don't worry about me. I really am fine now. But why did you call?"

"You mean besides just to hear your charming voice?"

I blushed, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Yes."

"Well, if you still haven't found an apartment yet, I might have found you a good one." After my squeals and praises, he continued. "It's reasonably priced, and it's only a couple blocks from your work. _I_ think it's perfect."

"Oh, Grant, it _sounds _perfect! Thank you so much! How'd you find it?"

"It's called the internet, hon... you should try using it every once in a while."

I rolled my eyes and he gave me the information for the person I would be sub-letting for, but then he had to go to work. I promised to call and leave him an excellent voice mail once I got off the phone with the woman.

I was nervous as I started dialing, but the voice that picked up on the other side was so smooth and full of ease that I couldn't help but feel comfortable right away.

"Alice Cullen's phone."

"Yes, ummm, I was hoping that Alice was still looking for a roommate. Is she there?"

"She is. She's just finishing interviewing the last of her candidates, and lucky for you, none of them seemed promising. She should be done in a couple minutes. Can I have her call you back, or do you wish to have me entertain you for the time being?" the velvety voice asked, making me smile instantly.

"Entertain me."

"Well, let's see... two muffins are sitting in an oven-"

"Please tell me that you don't find muffin jokes amusing," I said playfully.

"I don't, but my sister does and I thought it was worth a shot. Any _specific_ request on how to amuse you, since you seem so picky," he joked.

"No requests. I want to make this hard on you."

"Just like a female." I could tell that he was kidding, so I didn't take any offense. "How about I give you a mini interview while we wait, eh? That way our time shan't be wasted if Alice decides she doesn't like you, which I doubt will happen."

I was relieved that he had high hopes for me. I really wanted this apartment. So, of course, I agreed.

"Let's start off with the basics. Name?"

"Isabella Swan."

"Most recent address and reason for moving?"

"Right now I'm staying in a hotel. My work transferred me here from Seattle, Washington, and the sooner I find a place, the better."

"What do you do?"

"I'm the new Executive Editor for a publishing company called "Breaking Dawn," which specializes in up and coming authors, about to make their big break."

"Hence the name. You sound rather young to hold such a high position."

"I'm 26... it's not unheard of for someone my age to-"

"I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just observing. You must be good at what you do to earn yourself a promotion and new residence."

"I'm okay at it." I didn't want to mention that it was either this or getting fired. The circumstances for my transfer weren't exactly pleasant.

"I'm sure that you're more than 'okay' if you- what? Oh, Isabella, Alice is here now. Would you like to speak to her?"

"Absolutely." I was extremely happy to have been spared from having to defend myself in such a precarious position.

"It was lovely meeting you," he said before whispering in the background took over, followed by a playful shout of pain and giggling.

"Hello?" a bright voice asked.

"Alice Cullen?" I asked.

"Yes, and you must be Isabella Swan, my new roommate." I tried not to squeal at her words. "I hear that you're completely perfect in every way. Do you have time to come over now so I can meet you before you move your stuff in?"

"I actually have to get to a meeting for my work, but it should be finished in an hour or so, if that's alright."

"She's the new Executive Editor for the "Breaking Dawn" publishing company," said the voice of the man I was talking to earlier.

"Am I on speaker phone?" I asked, not sounding nearly as annoyed as I wanted to. I couldn't make myself angry at these two for some reason.

"Of course, I don't keep anything from my b-ahhh! he's attacking me!"

I laughed. "Don't attack her. I need her alive so I can find a place to live."

"I won't kill her." he responded simply, making me laugh again.

"Yup! I'm too special and he loves me too much!" she giggled, and so did I. They each sounded one of a kind.

I wrote down directions, and then headed out of my room and down to the hotel lobby, smiling at Jace, the doorman, and let him hail me a cab for an exhausting meeting with my new fellow co-workers.

Amazingly, my time at the office didn't seem as long as it usually did. And by "usually" I mean the three other times I had been there. The meeting flew by without a hitch and I hurried out as fast as possible, hoping that nobody would stop me and make me stay any longer. Fortunately, my clumsiness didn't kick in through my haste, and I exited the building without any new bruises, scrapes, or faculty meetings to beware of.

Alice's directions weren't very hard to follow, and her building was only a fifteen minute walk from my work, so that was a major plus. I was satisfied with Grant's work and soon I was in front of a gorgeous piece of architecture that would hopefully become my new home. I loved all the buildings in this city: they were all unique, yet the same in their rounded edges and the definite feel of the history, yet they still remained elegant and very much in place with the world today. These buildings were beautiful, and the one standing in front of me was no different. I was nervous just to walk inside to get to the elevator, nonetheless go up to the third floor and meet Alice.

I stared at the lobby door for quite a while until my phone buzzed in my purse. After a couple a minutes of sifting through everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING; I keep my entire _life_ in that bag!) I brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Third floor, remember?" came Alice's perky voice.

"Wha- yes, I remember. I just got to your building now."

"No, you didn't; you got here three and a half minutes ago, but I forgive you for keeping me waiting!" she giggled.

"How did you know that?" I asked, walking through the front doors and pressing the button to call the elevator.

"I'm psychic... AKA I saw you through the window. You have nothing to be nervous about. I won't bite you, and neither will my boyfriend Jazzy, who you'll meet on the stairs if you decide to go up that way."

"Can't, sorry. Stairs and I don't mix well," I said as an understatement as the elevator door dinged, opening up for me. I looked towards the stairwell, but I didn't hear any footsteps, so I just walked in and pressed the correct button to send me to my salvation.

"Clumsy? Or just easily winded?" she asked, a smile audible in her voice.

"Both, I think, but clumsy easily trumps the latter."

"I see," she said as the elevator door opened for me, revealing a very classy hallway. I wondered briefly if I really could afford this place, like Grant had said. It looked very upscale...

But standing at the end of the hall was someone who put my fears at ease.

"Izzy!!" She shrieked, her volume tripled by the echo of the hall and the voice over the phone. But I cringed from the nickname, not her.

She was running up to meet me, and I tried to keep the distaste for that name out of my face. She was a nice girl, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings while I was still trying to get this place.

"Hi, Alice," I said, hugging her.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Izzy!" -cringe- "I've been envisioning this all day!"

"Ummm, where did you come up with 'Izzy', Alice?" I was trying to be as polite as possible as we were walking back down the hall.

"Well, 'Isabella' is obviously too long, so you needed a nickname!! And Izzy works for you! It's funky, yet cute and sweet!"

"Sorry, to break it to you, Alice, but I already have a nickname; I go by Bella."

"Bella's pretty! I'm not surprised other people like to call you that, Izzy!" I knew that there was no way to stop her from calling me that wretched name, so I just gave up. No reason to try when you already know you're going to fail, right?

By then we had reached her door and she led me in, giving me a short tour of the premises. There was the usual: living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom and a half. Not to mention the _King-Sized Closets!!_ I didn't think it was possible for one to own so many clothes, I mean, the closet was as big as the room! When I told Alice this, she just laughed ominously. I didn't particularly like the sound of that...

But other than the scary closet scene, Alice and I had a nice afternoon. We decided that after both of us got off work tomorrow, she would drive over to my place and we would load my stuff up into her car and bring it over.

But I never expected that simple little gesture to cause such a scene!

She had just called me to let me know she was pulling up in front of the lobby, so I looked out the window yo see a shiny, ostentatious bright yellow porche, with windows tinted so dark, I didn't even know that it was Alice inside until she climbed out. And what she was wearing! Lime green sequined halter top and a mini skirt so mini that I'd be able to see her underwear if she bent over. Oh! she dropped her keys: yup, those were green, too.

I couldn't believe she would actually go OUT like that! And her boyfriend, Jazzy! How could he LET her go out like that! If I didn't like this girl so much, my opinion of her would have been incredibly altered by that outfit.

I saw a valet run over to her car and she lightly tossed him the keys, not even pausing in her walk as she approached the door. I saw Jace, staring at her with his eyes wide open; he was obviously just as shocked by her as I was. She politely asked him a question, which room I was in , I'm sure (I had told her to ask him, and told him to go ahead and let her know) and he motioned for her to follow him inside, out of the drafty, late afternoon air.

I waited anxiously in my room, pacing, for Alice to show herself at my door, and when there was a knock I flung myself at it, tripping and slamming into the door in the process.

"Ow," I mumbled to myself as I unlocked and opened the door. There was Alice smirking at me, and Jace in the background, still looking at Alice with a shocked look on his face.

"Feeling clumsy, Izzy?" she asked, spinning around and checking out her surroundings. "Where are your clothes?"

I pointed to my luggage cases on my bed and she strolled over, leaving me to stare at Jace.

"_Izzy?_" he mouthed the name, giving me a pitying look.

I nodded and mouthed back "_Apparently..."_ while clutching my head. It hurt to move it after it's most recent knocking.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking my face into his hands and stepping closer, examining my temple that I was sure was already beginning to bruise.

"I'm fine, I fall down all the time," I replied, pulling away with an embarrassment-induced blush on my face.

"You should be more careful with yourself, Bella, really..."

"OOOOOH!! Izzy!! I found you the perfect outfit!! "

Alice was still rummaging through my bags so I ignored her, looking instead to Jace, who was just looking in amazement at my new roomie.

"Does she ever slow down?"

"Not that I've witnessed. And to think! I'm going to be _living_ with her!" We both laughed for a moment until the pixie in question zoomed over to my side.

"Jasey should get back to work because I'm going to dress Izzy up properly anyway!" It wasn't a mean dismissal; she had a smile on her face and she really thought that her "dress up" session would be fun for all.

"Bye Bella... and good luck!" he whispered the last part, pulling me into a hug.

"Thanks, Jace. See you later!" He closed the door and I could hear him take a few steps down the hall before Alice's excitement burst in verbal dialogue.

"Come on, Bella! Change into these!" She shoved clothes into my face that I didn't even recognize as something I owned. There was a pretty blue camisole and a pair of capri's, along with a some strappy blue shoes.

I could handle the top and pants, but not the shoes. I didn't have a death wish, after all. Plus, who wear heals when they're moving?

"What's the point of this Alice, there's no one to dress up for. We're just going to be in the car and then in your apartment."

"First off, it's _our _apartment, now, Izzy... and second, we're going to the mall!!" She let out a squeal so loud that I knew Jace would be able to hear down in the lobby.

"Why are we going to the mall, Alice?" I generally had a large distaste for shopping of any kind.

"To get you new clothes! Most of yours suck!" Her voice was so upbeat that I couldn't put up much of a fight in disagreement.

"You seem to like _these_ enough to let me wear them in public," I joked.

"That's because those weren't yours five minutes ago. I picked them up on the way here."

I stared at her, the shocked look returning once again, and she pulled my shirt over my head and forced the new one on me. She reached forward to undo my belt, but I held a hand up to stop her; there are just some things you have to do yourself in my book. Once she had forced the pants and shoes on me, I wobbled uneasily, so she took my hand, walking me around the room a few times until I was used to the height. Then, she proceeded to dump almost all of my clothes out of my suitcases, leaving only two pairs of jeans, three tops, a couple undergarments, and one pair of pajamas. I was shocked. She was getting rid of everything! I knew she wanted to take me clothes shopping, but I couldn't afford an entirely new wardrobe right now! And I told her such.

"Don't be silly!" She said, dragging me out of the room. "I'm buying." And she wouldn't even let me argue. She would just start belting out "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls whenever I tried. To save myself from another scene such as when she pulled up to the hotel, I didn't argue. Much.

After two whole hours of shopping (at one point she had even looked into a music store and I was half convinced that she was going to buy me a trombone or something), she figured that I had enough to last me until the end of the week. I now understood the meaning of the maniacal laughter Alice let out when I talked about not using all of my closet space. The fact that her trunk was completely packed with shopping bags seemed irrelevant. I chose not to say anything, considering how she had switched from "Wannabe" to "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" by the Backstreet Boys. We drove back up to my hotel and she bribed the valet (I didn't want to know with how much) to let us keep the car there while we just ran upstairs to get what was left of my belongings (she had a maid come up and "dispose of the hideousness" while we were gone) and bring them down to her car.

We had finished loading everything and I was climbing into the passenger side when I heard my name being called.

"Bella!" I turned around to see Jace running up to us. Alice rolled her eyes and sighed as if she new something that I didn't. I frowned at her reaction. But Jace had gotten to the car by now. "Hey, Bella. You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Of course not." I stepped away from the car and gave him a hug. "I was just waiting to see if you would coming running after me. You passed the test."

He smirked at me a little. "Well, I hope you know that if you ever want or need it, I'll be here to service you."

Alice coughed, but her smile stayed intact. "You mean the _hotel _will be of service to her if the need arises, Jasey?"

"Isn't that what I said?" I just smiled at him, refusing to take his words seriously. After all, I'm not the type of person people flirt with. He was just being nice. "Well, anyway, do you want to exchange numbers?"

"Um, sure, Jace," I answered awkwardly, well aware that Alice was staring. We traded cell phones and programmed our numbers in, and then switched back, barely even having time to say goodbye before she slammed on the gas and we were speeding down Polk St. to _our_ place.

"You shouldn't encourage him if you're not interested," Alice said, her usual upbeat attitude in place. "It will make it harder when you officially have to turn him down."

"I wasn't encouraging and he wasn't even interested anyway," I responded. But would it be so bad if I wanted him to be a little bit? I'm not sure if _I_ were exactly into him or if I just wanted _somebody_ to want me, but I knew I wished that he really _was_ flirting, no matter how unlikely that was.

"Alright," Alice said in a sing-song voice. I knew she had more thoughts on the subject, but she thankfully didn't pose them, as we were already at the apartment.

It took us several trips up and down, even though a few of Ali- _our _neighbors helped out. Once everything was piled into my new room, Alice immediately got to unpacking all of our new shopping and piling it into the closet and the dresser (which was left over from the last tenant, along with a nice bed, (whose mattress I flipped over first thing), telling me all about her family: her parents Carlisle and Esme, brother E, and boyfriend Jazzy. I was pleased to know that Jace and I weren't the only ones she gave ridiculous nicknames to.

I was most interested in hearing about E. From the description Alice gave of him, he seemed to be quite my cup of tea, if you will. And she spoke of him with such fondness in her voice, it was easy to tell that not only was he a good person on the inside, but she also cared for him deeply, and he for her.

I had never really had much of a family growing up; my mom (Renee) and dad (Charlie) had gotten divorced when I was just a baby, and I spent most of my time growing up in Phoenix, Arizona with Renee, who was a little too wrapped up in all the newest trends to really act as a proper mother to me. She was a good person and everything, but I was raised to be an adult at a young age, rather than just being another kid on the block.

When I was seventeen I moved back to Forks, Washington to live with Charlie, giving Renee a chance to settle down finally and be happy with her new husband, Phil. Charlie was a quiet man by nature, and was Police Chief of the small little town, working a lot, and whenever he wasn't working, he enjoyed spending his time fishing. I didn't mind being alone so much, but it was a slight disappointment to miss yet another chance at being a kid and living in a proper family.

Grant had a good family. He was the youngest of four kids and the only boy. There were cute pictures of him and his siblings playing around the house and teasing each other and just having a good time. I was lucky enough to be placed in some of the newer pictures when I moved to Forks and befriended one of his sisters, Maggie. Maggie had brought me home for a sleepover one night and I met Grant (who was a year younger than her, and therefore my own age) and we had been friends ever since. I think it might have been fate for me to move to that desolate town so that I might have been able to gain one true friend in my life.

But recounting all my adventures with Grant and the family that he had shared with me was enough to make me realize that Alice's family was going to be another "almost" for me. I would be considered "almost" a part of the family, but never exactly _one of them_. I was doomed to forever be stuck as an "almost" in every aspect of my life.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I had no idea how long I had been stuck in my own world, but Alice's sudden appearance in my line of sight surprised me and caused me to tumble ungracefully off the bed. After helping me up and laughing for a good four minutes, she repeated her question.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about your family and how I'd love to meet them someday." I half-lied.

"Oh, you will! I bet you'll really like E! He's such a sweet guy once you get to know him and he'll just-"

"He'll just make me swoon, I bet," I said without thinking. A blush immediately surfaced on my cheeks. I hadn't meant to tell her that her stories made me develop a little crush... now it was going to be awkward between us!

"That's a definite possibility," she said, making me blush even more. Suddenly her phone rang. "Hey Jazzy!" she answered, not even looking at the caller ID.

I gave her a look, but apparently she was right, because she started giggling like crazy.

"Hold on," she told her Jazzy before turning to me. "Izzy, I'll introduce you two if you want, but it won't work out in the end. Trust me on this. Or actually, you know what, you don't have to trust me; here, Jazzy will tell you."

She tossed the phone to me and of course I dropped it. She giggled while I fell off the bed _again _trying to retrieve it. When I finally put the damn device to my ear, I could hear Jazzy chuckling at me, too.

"Hello?" I asked him, slightly peeved at him for laughing at me.

He must have been able to feel my waves of irritation through the phone because he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Izzy-" darn, I didn't want that name to catch on "-but I couldn't help it. You're probably one of the most accident-prone people I know. We'll have to watch out for you to make sure you don't kill yourself."

"You're not helping your case by apologizing like _that_," I mumbled, causing him to chuckle again. "But my ability to trip while standing still is not the point of the conversation. This is about Ali-"

"A smart person never bets against Alice. She's always right with her predictions," he interrupted, not even letting me finish my sentence. I was slightly dumbfounded when I handed her back her phone without another word.

She smirked at me and resumed her conversation with her Jazzy while I tried to regain my composure. I didn't want to believe that Alice could be wrong about this because her brother sounded like such a good guy. I weighed my options for a few minutes before Alice hung up, setting her gaze upon me.

"So, I guess you're gonna trust me-_us_ on this, right?" She smiled as if she saw where my mind was going.

No, I wasn't going to leave it as is. I was going to be a rebel, bet on the underdog, try all my options, and every other cliche out there.

"I think I still want to meet him, see what happens from there," I declared boldly.

"Alright, Izzy, but I warned you..."

She smiled that mischievous smile again, but this time I wasn't afraid. I saw it as a challenge. I was going to meet E and find out if things could actually end happily ever after for me for once.

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There it is! I hope you enjoyed my crazy little story because thats all there is! No more!

And of course I'm lying about that, but there's no more for today!

I hoped that this chapter peaked your interest because the good stuff is still to come!

Much Love,

Grace, the unGraceful


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all my reviewers! and here they are: real men play clarinet (the first one XD), Lukimba, Mykaiella Apoy, xXxDance LoverxXx, the dancing phantom, movieandbookgirl, Crazily Sane Pancake, edwardrocksmysocks, caww, booksickle, Slave to my Pen, XBeetle of DestinyXx, nocturnal-nightmare, dollegirl, italiangirlinamessedupworld, Jasmine2121, SinkFish, sailor-ahiru, schmexybella1 (Lve you, Schmex!), and holly4davidt

I'm terribly sorry this took so long to get out. I was planning on posting this the very next day!... but then everything happened at once! I moved, then my house didn't have internet for a while, I had to deal with writer's block, my laptop had numerous problems, and I had to leave town a couple times, once for the death of a friend, and then again a few days later for said friends funeral, followed afterward by even more computer problems AND still I had writer's block!! THEN I went to work at camp for several weeks and had my mom's stepdad die as well... and then I had MORE computer troubles!! But I'm updating now, and I'll be working like crazy to make the wait up to you guys!

This chapter is dedicated to caww for pointing out how Bella forgot to call Grant back and tell him how everything went last chapter. Thanks for that!

**Disclaimer:** Twilight is not mine, because if it were, then I would say so, but since I haven't, then it isn't, but if it were, then I would. Indeed. -nods head for emphasis-

Please read, review, and ENJOY!

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"Why are you always trying to dress me up, Alice?" I whined as she forcibly stripped me and threw me into the shower. I didn't know she had that much strength in her tiny little body.

"Because you don't know how to to it yourself, Izzy!" she chided in that eternally cheerful voice of hers, throwing some strawberry scented body wash at me.

"It's '_Bella_,'" I mumbled to myself, rubbing the new bruise I was sure to have on my stomach from not being able to either dodge or catch the bottle.

She ignored my comment and just continued with her tossing of bath supplies: shampoo, conditioner, special moisturizing soap, a loofa... (I didn't know why she didn't just put them in the shower to begin with!) all the while talking to me until I was dizzy.

"Really, Izzy. If you're so intent on proving me wrong, you've got to pull out all the stops! And proper bath care is just stop one! Then we have after-bath care, hair, make-up, fashion, hygiene-"

"I know about personal hygiene Alice," I said, slightly ticked off at her, but using her products nonetheless. I knew that I could definitely use the help.

"I'm not talking about brushing your teeth or using deodorant or anything like that! I'm talking about stuff to do _during_ the date!"

"I don't know what you're talking about Alice and-"

"Like being able to subtly take breath mints after you eat or check your teeth without anyone noticing or-"

"AND," I interrupted her interruption, "I don't care. I've met new guys before tonight, you know."

"I know you have, but you were never trying to prove me wrong before. You'll need all the help you can get with _that_," she smirked. I frowned. It's like she was reading my mind.

"And why are you trying to help me accomplish this goal? Oh, damn!" My distraction had caused me to nik myself with my razor.

"I'm helping because it's fun!" she said, handing me a small wad of toilet paper to hold against the small wound. "And it won't make a difference anyway." Her cheerful attitude was seriously wearing me down.

I ignored her ranting for the rest of my shower, but gratefully accepted the towel she threw at me when I climbed out, and not-so-gratefully sat down for her "pampering" to begin. This included but was not limited to: a mani/pedi, facial, blow drying and styling my hair, make-up, and a neck massage. The massage was my favorite part-well, more like the it was the only part that was enjoyable and didn't involve pain of some sort. She didn't even continue her incessant talking during the massage, which made it all the more relaxing.

It took much too long for her to make me what she deemed presentable, but when she was finished, I was actually confident about myself for once. I thought I looked very pretty in my simple, yet classy, outfit of a flowy white skirt and deep blue blouse. I wasn't accustomed to thinking of myself as attractive, but with Alice's ministrations, I might have to get used to it. I was very appreciative of her all the sudden.

But then a knock sounded on the door and all positive thoughts I had flew out the window. I was just my usual stuttering, blushing, awkward self. I felt unworthy of the company of the brother whom Alice had spoken so fondly of. She was right, and there was no way this would work out. And then I saw him.

He walked into the living room with Alice at his heels, though I only had eyes for him: his messy hair, bright eyes, and the firmness of his body drew me in and held me prisoner. I couldn't move. Now I _knew_ how right Alice was. I wasn't meant to be with this handsome man. He was in a class above me. I wasn't worthy.

Then he spoke, and his smooth, deep voice broke my trance.

"You must be Izzy, It's good to finally meet you." He held out his hand, and I put my small one in his much larger one. His grip was firm, I noted, but also gentle, showing that he had a soft side underneath his sexy muscles. All of this was very pleasing to the eye, but nowhere near pleasing enough for me to allow yet another person to call me that horrendous name.

"It's actually _Bella_. And it's good to meet you, too!" My enthusiasm was all too evident, and I did my best to reign it in after that. "I've heard a lot about you from Alice."

"Oh, no... what did she tell you?" he joked, elbowing his sister in her in the side.

"Only the bad stuff; no worries E," she said in a nonchalant voice.

"Oh, of course. I guess that means I'll have to do my best to impress you and prove my sister wrong." His eyes scorched at me.

"She didn't say anything bad. You have nothing to prove," I breathed. "Not that she believes such a feat possible, anyway," I muttered to myself, but he managed to overhear.

"I guess I'll just have to do my best to impress you just for the hell of it, then." I didn't get to see his eyes this time because I was too busy blushing and looking at my shoes.

Alice laughed. "Look at her! Her cheeks match the red of my skirt!"

"Ah, Alice, don't embarrass her," E teased, but I could tell he found the sight amusing as well.

That reminded me...

"Why do you like being called 'E'? Why don't you go by your real name?"

"Hmm... I don't know," his face looked thoughtful and I found it very cute. "Alice here somehow couldn't string her words together well enough to say my full name when we were really little, and the name just stuck from there, I guess. I don't mind being called my birth name, but-"

"NOOO! Your name is 'E' so just deal with it!" Alice said, bouncing with a big smile plastered on her face.

"She just _has_ to have her way with the stupid nicknames, doesn't she?" I asked, hoping that E knew a way around it.

"She does. I've had almost all my life to get used to it though; you've only had a week."

"Very true. Although I'd rather _not_ go through the rest of my life being called _Izzy_..." I shuddered at the thought and E chuckled.

"Sorry, I wish I was brave enough to stand up to Alice for you, but her tiny size only helps make her viciousness more efficient."

"Hey, now... you say that like it's a bad thing!" Alice came up and patted her brother on the head, just barely being able to reach. He put his hand on her head and muffed her hair up, causing her to squeal and run from the room.

"The hair," he whispered into my ear conspiratorially. "It's the only sure-fire way to get her to leave you alone for any period of time."

I laughed in response. "Got it; threaten the hair and then I can actually have privacy while showering," I muttered, remembering her attack on me that afternoon.

"Shower, eh?" he said, smirking and making me blush. I hadn't been on a date in so long that I forgot how one tiny thing could send a male's mind straight into the gutter.

"Yes, with your sister." He shuddered at my response, and I knew that visual had been successfully thrown out of his mind. I giggled at my accomplishment.

He playfully glared at me, showing that he knew I said that on purpose, and I just let a triumphant smile stay on my face. When our little staring match ended, he took my hand, guiding me into the living room and onto the couch to sit down.

"So, Alice tells me that you're a book editor," he said after a moment of silence, and I couldn't help but giggle. "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm sorry," I breathed out between chuckles. "But that was just too incredibly generic as far as small talk goes!"

He paused a moment before joining me in my amusement. "Yeah, it was... sorry about that..."

"What are you sorry for?" Alice demanded, coming bursting back into the room, hair once again neatly arranged on her head.

"I'm sorry that I don't have an original mind when it comes to making small talk," he said, glancing at my smile and breaking out into a big grin of his own.

"Very true," Alice agreed. "He's not much of a conversationalist."

"I like to think of myself as a more physical being, rather than just an intellectual one," he smirked over at me, causing me to blush and look away. I could hear their quiet chortling at my reaction.

The rest of the day went much the same: Alice and E making sibling jokes until E chased her off for a much too brief span of time in which we could talk, and then Alice would return. The cycle continued on and on throughout the day. I really wished I could be mad at Alice for interrupting us so much, but I soon figured out how impossible it was to be upset with her. It's like trying to hate a flower because it wanted to smell pretty for you; she was only doing her best to keep us from sinking into an awkward silence (which would be my fault, being that I was too shy and nervous to say much to him) and to keep her brother "on his best behavior" for me, which I found touching. Alice was just being kind, as was her nature.

It was roughly 9:30 that night when E left to go home, and despite my less-than-outgoing conduct, he asked me for my number, which I willingly gave him, of course. I was just surprised that he was still interested in seeing me again after witnessing my not-so-graceful conduct all night.

I went to bed with a smile on my face of what could come, but I have to admit that the smile held a hint of a smirk, thinking that Alice might be wrong after all...

- - - - -

I awoke the next morning to the ringing of the alarm clock on my phone. It was time to get up for work, so I quickly opened and closed my phone, automatically letting it snooze. I needed another few minutes to bask in the glory of my wonderful dream.

It was the end of the night and E was heading home, but instead of smiling that beautiful smile of his and asking for my number, he pulled me to him and kissed me. Then the cliche fireworks exploded in our lips and bells rang and then said bells turned into my alarm clock. Stupid alarm.

It was going off again, and I hadn't even realized the full ten minutes had passed. I opened my phone and pressed the "end" button, turning off the ringing and got in the shower. Afterwards, I stood in front of my closet trying to figure out what to wear when my alarm went off yet again, despite the fact I had turned it off.

I marched over to the damn phone and discovered that it was actually a call coming through and looked at the caller ID.

"Hello!" I said brightly. Then...

"Why didn't you call me last night??" came the anxious voice of Grant.

"Was I supposed to?" I asked, frantically looking for shoes to wear.

"Of course! I wanted to know how your big night with E went!"

"E?" I questioned.

"Yeah, E. The boy you're trying to seduce to prove your roommate isn't perfect. Did the night go so badly that you forgot about him already?"

"GRAAAAAAAANT!" I yelled at him, coming to a sudden realization.

He just chuckled at me and I could see his smirk from three states away. He knew me well enough to know what he did wrong, and to thoroughly enjoy it.

"You woke me up early on a Sunday?! I thought it was my alarm clock going off for work!!"

"I know. I'm just impatient to hear the details! You made me wait a long time before hearing back from you when _I_ went through the effort to find your perfect apartment, and I didn't want a repeat of that incident!"

"I told you I was sorry for that. I just forgot."

"And I was just preventing you from forgetting _this_ time," he said as if that settled the matter.

"Fine... you sound like a girl, wanting to hear all the gory details," I teased.

"This isn't about being a girl, it's about feeling like a protective big brother who doesn't want you to try to get with someone who's a prick, you understand me, Little Missy?" he asked, and his tone was so serious that I almost laughed.

"I understand. But I'm going back to bed. I'll call you later."

"But-"

"I love you, Grant. Now _BYE._" I hung up on him and he only tried calling me back once before letting me get back to sleep. I was proud; it was a personal best for him.

A couple hours later I crawled out of bed and hopped in the shower again; I wasn't used to the heat that was expelled during this time of the year and I felt all stuffy in my room. I emerged from my second shower of the day feeling, and probably looking, like a drowned rat. I made it simple and just threw on a robe before heading straight to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. As I passed the living room I heard a chuckle and giggle, and decided to ignore Alice and her boyfriend until I had caffeine in my system. I poured myself a mug and downed it all at once, then poured another cup (this one to savor).

I headed back to the living room to greet them. I was shocked to see that it was E there, and not Alice's Jazzy. I quickly tried to smooth my wet hair down and straighten my clothes, somehow managing not to spill my coffee in the process.

"How long have you been here?" I asked him nervously, very aware of how non-chic I looked at that instant.

"A while. I'm an early riser, you know."

"No, I didn't know," I said faintly.

"I was here long enough to hear you get into that little spat with your lover over the phone," he grinned.

"Grant's not my lover!" I exclaimed quickly, before catching on that he was just teasing me. I added, "I only want his mind, his girlfriend can have his body to do with as she pleases."

"Sounds kinky. Do you watch when this happens?" Alice chipped in.

"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to be blinded. Grant's always been really pale skinned."

E laughed at my comment. "Go get ready, pretty Bella. I'm taking you out and away from this hellacious pixie for the day. Then we can _really_ get to know each other," he winked.

I blushed and tried not to run to my room, barely succeeding. Alice joined me shortly after and together we hurriedly battled through my messy hair, picked out something casual (yet still flattering) for me to wear, and applied light make-up. I was incredibly grateful for her, yet again.

It was only fifteen minutes later when E offered me his hand and led me out my door and down to his car, which was a very shiny silver and extremely catchy. It suited him perfectly with his casual refinement, and bold edge. He helped me in and then we were speeding away, much faster than the speed limit, to a little diner in the heart of the city.

It was called Eric's Diner, and it was the most amazing place I'd ever been! It was fashioned like it belonged in a western, with an old-time stove in the corner and horse bits and other memorabilia hanging on the walls... and rap music blasting throughout, which just brought a smile to my lips- this place was a contradiction among itself, and it was great!

The menu looked like it was catered to a bunch of hippies, having sprouts and avocados on all the sandwiches, and a variety of healthy, yet yummy soups available. And instead of cups for the drinks, they used little jam jars, given to the owner by the community, rather than having them just tossed out. It was amazing, and very Californian. This might just have been my new favorite restaurant. I hoped I'd remember where it was at, or that maybe E would want to take me here often. I really wanted the latter, actually.

(**AN: this is an actual diner in Fremont, which is roughly an hour outside of San Francisco; I used to eat here with my WonderTwin all the time, and they really DO use the jars!! Anybody in the Bay wanting directions of where it's at, just PM me XD**)

As I was busy enjoying my tomato and turkey (with sprouts and avocados, of course) in pita bread, E was chowing down on his side salad, having already finished his own sandwich, smiling at me all the while. It put me on edge a tad.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked him nervously, wondering if I had food on my face or something along those lines. I was starting to wish that I had let Alice finish speaking when she was going to tell me how to check for these things inconspicuously.

"You, of course. You eat so slow!" he teased, stealing a piece of my sandwich.

"Hey!" I said, swatting his hand playfully, but he had already devoured the bite. "I think you just eat monstrously fast. It's not my fault you consume everything like a garbage disposal!" _Boys..._ I thought. _They all eat the say exact way!_

"No, Alice eats just as fast as me. You're the one who eats at a strange pace."

"She only eats like that because she had to battle you for food when you were little! If she didn't eat as fast as possible, there'd be nothing left for seconds!"

"Touche," he said, tipping his jar of lemonade to me. "Smart _and_ beautiful. I'll have to thank Alice for taking the advice of someone older and smarter than her and accepting you as her roommate."

I laughed, remembering that conversation over the phone when I first called.

That night I went to bed feeling good about myself. I had a wonderful date with someone who was kind, smart, gorgeous, and could make me laugh. And this amazing person thought I was smart and beautiful.

I didn't think life could get any better.

Alice really was wrong about her brother. We fit together like we were meant to be.

* * *

Once again... I'm terribly sorry about taking so long to update... my computer works! yay! and lets hope it stays that way -crosses fingers-

Sorry this was shorter than last chapter, but I was anxious to get it out to y'all!

I bet you guys were starting to think I had given up on this story, but of COURSE I haven't!! I have many many many ideas for this all plotted out already, and now I won't let anything stand in my way! I already have chapter 3 halfway finished, but I'm going to update my other stories before posting another chapter here most likely...

Talk to you soon!

Much Love,

Grace, the unGraceful


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